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Square Enix Collective’s Black The Fall Launches

Square Enix collective have today announced that Sand Sailor Studios debut title Black The Fall is now available on Xbox One. The team have crafted a game that drops you into the striking environment of dystopian Romania, being choked of life by the communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

“Black The Fall plunges players into a deeply atmospheric communist dystopia, in which they must solve a series of puzzles to survive in a world determined to keep them trapped in the system. Played out in a striking environment, the game’s lead ‘Black’ intends to escape; sneaking through numerous stages past cameras trained on his every step as he tries to escape the system that is keeping him and his fellow citizens enslaved.”

Creative Director Cristian Diaconescu expanded on how they created the feeling of living within an oppressive regime within Black The Fall.

“Romania only broke free of the shackles of the Soviet bloc less than 30 years ago, so for many people living in the country today the memories are still fresh. We decided to take those stories and illustrate just what it was like to live within a restrictive regime in a game.”

“That means players have to make use of the kind of tactics people who survived that era mastered – manipulation and stealth. The intentionally melancholic atmosphere also has a role to play here, and that’s something we’ve rendered in detail through image and sound. We’ve put no text or dialogue into the game at all – the story is told through experiences in play.”

Black The Fall was one of the first games to feature on Square Enix Feedback collective back in 2014, with it also being one of the first games that was picked up by the company through kickstarter. Square Enix’s Phil Elliott was always excited to see Black The Fall released.

“It’s with great delight we’re working with the team at Sand Sailor Studio on releasing the game as well – both the game, and the team behind it, have come a very long way in that time, and we’re really looking forward to seeing people enjoy the experience they’ve created.”

After the Ultimate game sale, will this still be on your shopping list? From the gameplay trailer, and as Russ said in his preview it will clearly get compared to PlayDead’s Inside, with the same atmospheric dystopia puzzle platformer, but do you think it can reach the same level as Inside? Leave us a comment below.